Inflammation

Studying inflammation with microspheres

Investigating inflammation When inflammation occurs chemicals from white blood cells are typically released into the injured tissue as the body attempts to remove foreign substances like pathogens or damaged cells. In some cases the inflammatory chemicals released can cause damage to the body’s tissues, resulting in pain, redness, and swelling. There are a number of inflammatory diseases which can result in a range of conditions, from joint irritation and swelling of the joint lining to life-threatening sepsis. Tracking recruitment to and imaging at the site of inflammation will be important in vivo imaging processes to assess inflammatory diseases and to further study the link between chronic inflammation and cancer. Optical imaging in wound healing models is also important as inflammation plays a role in the wound healing process characterized by infiltration by mononuclear immune cells and angiogenesis.

Microspheres optimized for use in mice

Figure 1. Imaging of microspheres in an inflammation/wound healing model

Microspheres developed specifically for small animal imaging applications are of a defined size, are bright, and retain fluorescence for extended periods of time. The SAIVI injectable microspheres are specifically treated to avoid accumulation in the liver, making them particularly suitable for in vivo use. Following IV introduction, the microspheres accumulate and are retained at sites of inflammation. Useful for monitoring blood flow in addition to visualization of sites of inflammation, these microspheres have been successfully demonstrated for use in an inflammation/wound healing model (Figure 1).